Transmission for fishing reels



Oct. 28, 1952 A. G. MlEs ErAL TRANSMISSION FOR FISHING REELs Filed Aug.v15, 1947 INVENToRs. .ALExA/voae GMES, BY 72:0 S. Pfr/.115659,

Patented Oct. 28, 1952 TRANSMISSION FOR FISHING REELS Alexander G. Mies,Alhambra, and Ted S. Piueger, Altadena, Calif.; said Mies assignor tosaid Pilueger Application August/15, 1947, Serial No. 768,758

(Cl. 'i4-785) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to fishing reels and, more particularly but notnecessarily, to a speed changing device or transmission for a fishingreel for selectively varying the speed of the crank relative to thespeed of the spool or shaft of the reel.

It is desirable on many occasions while iishing in either salt or freshwater to vary the speed of the reel crank relative to the shaft carryingthe spool of the reel. In deep sea fishing it is especially desirable toreduce the speed of the spool relative to the reel crank. By reducingthe speed of the spool relative to the crank considerable pumping-of thefishing rod is obviated and a sh may be drawn in by the excess leverageafforded by the diierential between the crank and the spool. Also, thelow speed is very desirable when a large fish is to be brought along theside of a boat for retrieving the sh. There are certain other occasionswhen a game fish hooked on a line will change direction and make a rundirectly at the fisherman, thereby requiring that the line be veryrapidly reeled in order to take up the slack. y

In the fresh water fishing the low speed of the reel relative to thecrank is seldom desired, but the direct speed between the reel and thecrank and especially the high speed of the reel relative to the crank isdesirable. Most fresh water sh are relatively small and again thefisherman often desires to retrieve his hook in order to change orprovide the hook with bait. Various and sundry types of mechanisms haveheretofore been provided for changing the ratio of the speed of thecrank or handle of the shing reel with the speed of the spool, some ofwhich are gear shifts and others hydraulic or otherwise operated. Suchconstructions have been found to be at the expense of the strength ofthe reel and do not operate with the smoothness required by a skilledoperator. Moreover, prior constructions involved changes in the body ofthe reel, were bulky, heavy, expensive and in most instances theadvantageous features of standard reels were lost by the inclusion ofspeed changing arrangements.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a speedchanging attachment or differential for a fishing reel that may beinstalled on the shaft of conventional reels of standard types.

Another object is to provide a manually operated speed changingattachment or differential of the gear type wherein different ratios ofspeed may be selectively obtained between the crank and spool of thereel without disturbing the mesh of the gears. v

Another object is to provide a novel speed changing device ortransmission which may be easily and quickly attached to the shaft of aconventional shing reel and which will provide means for quicklychanging the speed differential between the crank of the reel and theshaft of the reel.

Another object of the invention also is to provide a transmission forshing reels that may be attached to the shaft of a conventional reelwithout altering or interfering with the free spool mechanism, the dragor friction clutch usually carried by such reels.

Another Objectis to provide a speed changing attachment for vfishingreels that may be selectively operated by manually shifting an actuatingshaft axially relative to the shaft of the reel and the speed changingattachment.

A further object is to provide an attachment having the abovecharacteristics that will be com'- pact, self-contained, rugged,efficient in operation and comparatively cheap to manufacture.

A still further object is to provide a fishing reel having a speedchanging attachment which will operate to produce a plurality of speedratios b etween the crank of a reel and the spool thereof, which meansmay be readily altered to produce any combination of speed ratiosbetween the crank and the reel by merely eliminating certain operatingparts of the device.

The above-mentioned andV other objects will be made apparent throughoutthe further description of the invention when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to"like parts.' The drawings are not a definition of the invention butmerely illustrate and describe'an exemplary f orm by means of which theinvention may be effectuated. f

In the drawings:

Fig. v1 is an exploded View of an attachment of a speed changing deviceembodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a partial end elevational view of a reel having the presentdevice embodying the inven-f tion fixed to the shaft of the reel, thepresent device being shown in vertical section.

` Fig. 3 is ya sectional view taken along the line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig.y 4 is a sectional view taken along the line The present device issimilar in principle Vto the speed changing device illustrated andAdescribed infpatent application, Serial No. 733,772, filed March- 11,1947, now Patent No. 2,487,387; VThe principal difference in the presentdevice disclosed in the above-mentioned application is the constructionand the arrangement of parts to simplify the device and provide amanually operated speed changing means which may be actuatedinstantaneously to obtain the desired speed differential between thecrank handle and the spool of the 11eel.

Referring to the drawings, a fishing reel, representedin its entirety byIU, is shown with the present device mounted on the conventional drivingshaft I I, from which the crank handle I 2 has been removed. 'Iheextreme end of shaft II is shown of reduced diameter and threaded;adjoining this is a squared portion and this is followed by theexternally threaded portion I4 of larger diameter. A conventional dragI3 is mounted on the threaded portion I4 of the shaft II and is adaptedfor its usual purpose without any interference with the present device.The present device includes av cylindrical housing I5, which isheldstationary with the reel structure by means 'of a lever I5 having anelongated slot I1 in its outer end for receiving theend of a stud :I-8.The stud I8 has a threaded end I9 which may be substituted for one ofthe reelretaining screws 2'I. The slot I1 is elongated for the purposeof adjustment when the attachment is used on reels of differentdiameter, the adjustment being made by the -threaded means, indicated inits entirety end ofthe stud I8. v

The rear end Aof the housing I is partially closed by a transverse wall'23 which may be integral with the cylindrical yhousing I5. The annular'end wall 23 vcarries a tubular member 24 concentric with theAcylindrical housing and shaft II and arranged to operate as an outerbearing surface for a tubular voutput-I member 25. The tubular outputmember 25 is provided with a cylindrical flange 26 arranged to supportradially disposed, spaced, planetary gears 21 and spacer members 28. Thegears K21 and spacer members 28 are rotatably .carried by pins `3-Iprojecting from the face of the ange 26. The pins 3I terminate outwardlyfrom the gears 21 and spacer members 28 and are arranged to be receivedby openings .3,2 provided in a disc v33, thepurpose of which will belater understood. The planetary gears .21. Yare .positioned on the disc26 so that the gear teeth will extend outwardly from the peripheral edgeof the flange .or disc- 26 and mesh with an .internal :gear formed `inthe inner surface of ,stationary housing I5.

The ktubular member v on the flange 2S lis provided with a non-circularor `square opening at its outer Aend forreceiving the non-circularorsquare portion -on .the shaft II vfromwhich the crank -I2has beenremoved. For the .purpose of fixing the tubular member 25 and flange 2Brigid with the shaft I I, there is provideda frustoconical-,shaped rnut3.5, having its outer end bifurcated at -31 for cooperation with a-toolfor tightening the nut 36. The nut 36 is threaded onto the end of the.shaft lI'I as shownat 38-in Fig. 2. For the purpose of locking the nut36 in rigid, fixed relation with the shaft .and tubular member 25 thereisprovided an externally threaded nut 39 having a frusto-conical-shapedopening 4I therein for receiving the `rfrusto-,conical-shaped nut 36.internally threaded at 42 for receiving the externally threaded nut 39.The externally threaded nut 39 is `bifurcated at 43 vto cooperate withthe bifurcation 31 in the nut 36 whereby the nuts 316 and 39 Ymay bebrought into locking by 22, carried by the outer The tubular member 25is 4 relation with the shaft I I and tubular member 25.

The outer end of the housing I5 is provided with the cover 44, theperiphery of which terminates in an inwardly extending, internallythreaded flange 45 adapted to engage the externally threaded, reducedportion 46 of the housing I5. The cover 44 is provided with a centrallylocated lip 41 arranged to receive the cylindrical'portion 48 of atubular jack shaft 49. The present device has been designed so that theconventional handle I2 may be employed with the present construction.The tubular jack shaft 49 is provided with a non-circular or squareportion 5I arranged to t a corresponding opening in the end of the crankI 2, the crank I2 being employed to rotate the jack shaft 49.

A nut 52 is provided for threaded engagement with the reduced,externally threaded end portion 53 of the jack shaft 49 for maintainingthe handle in assembled relation. Assembled on the jack shaft 49 is adisc154, the latter being provided on its side face with planetary gears55. The planetary gears are radially disposed about the center of thedisc 54 and .supported thereon by pins 56 and arranged to-mesh withinternal gear 23. The jack shaft 49 alsovcarries disc 33the latter beingprovided with a central Aopening vfor receiving the shaft 49. y,Also:disposed on the disc 33 is a sun gear 51 concentric with the shaft 49and arranged to mesh with the planetary gears 55 carried -by the -discI54. The shaft 49 also carries sun gear 59 arranged to mesh with theplanetarygears -21 carried bythe disc or fiange 26. A lock-ing ringv V6Iis provided on the inner end of the shaft 49 and arranged to cooperatewith an annular flange 63 on shaft 4-9 for locking the discs 54y and 33and gear 58 fin assembled relation on the shaft 49. A spring-lockingWasher 62 may be. positioned in van .external groove 63V provided rinthe ,endof the shaft 49 for maintaining the locking washer 6I inassembled rela-tion on the shaft.

For the purpose of selectively obtaining different speed ratios betweenthe handle I2 and-the shaft .II .there is provided a manuallyoperated,actuating pin, represented in its entirety .byl65g The pin 55 isdisposed within vthel tubular shaft 49 and is provided with a-reducedportion 66, the end of which is reduced on opposite sides, as shown at51, forA receiving :a corresponding opening in a button or actuatingknob, the .outer end of the reduced portion 65 being bored andinternally threaded for receiving a lockingscrew 69 fory maintaining theknob 68 in rigid,` fixed relation with thepin 65. .The tubular shaft 49is provided withelongated slots 1I for receiving and accommodatingoppositely disposed, springactuated pawls y.12. The pawls 1.2 arepositioned in a transverse opening .10 provided th-roughthe outer end 13of the pin 6,5 (see Fig. 4). The adjacent ends ofthe pawls 12 arebifurcated to form a chamber 14 for vreceiving a spring 15,V thelatter-employed `to urge the loppositely disposed paWls 12 outward-lyfor selectively engaging recesses or notches 16 provided in the centralopenings in the disc 54, disc 33orgear 5,8. Means may be provided forreleasa-bly holding the pin 65 in its several axial positions within thetubular shaft 49. Such means may include outwardly projecting,spring-held, radially disposed `positioning elements or projections 8-Iin the portion 13 of the pin -6-5--arranged to engage grooves "82, 83and 84 when jt-h'espa-wls 'l2 are in vengagement with t-he recesses ornotches 16 in the gear 5B, disc 33 and disc 54, respectively. 't 1' Itcan now be understood that by axially shifting the pin '65' to `engagethe pawls 'I2 with the recessed notch 'I6 in eitherthe disc 54, disc 33or gear l58, lthe desired differential between vthe crank I2A and vshaftII mfa'jyfbe"obtained"v "Phe loperatior'i'of the device is" as follows.When tis desired to reduce the speed of thev reel relativev to vthecrank'fIZ, the'pin 6,5 isA positionedbyy the button 68 tol itsinnermost'position, asfshown in Fig. 2, at which Ytime the 'p'awls 'I2engage the recesses '16'in the sun ge'a'r` 58,"thfe latter-meshing withvthe planetary'gears 2 1 on the"disc 26, which is rigidly carried byvthe'shaft II. When it is desired to obtain directl one-to-oneiyratiobetween the crank IZHand theshaft II, the pawls 12 are shifted by meansAof -the lknob .gitq -the recesses 'IB in the disc 33, and since thelatter is connected directly by means of the pins 3I with the disc 2Bwhich is rigidly carried by the shaft I I, the shaft I I will be rotatedin unison with the crank I2. When it is desired to obtain a high speedof the reel or spool I relative to the crank I2, then the pawls 'I2 areshifted to the recesses 'I6 in the disc 54, at which time the shaft I Iwill .be rotated by way of the planetary gears 55 carried by the disc54, sun gear 5'I, carried by the disc 33, the latter being rigidly fixedwith the disc 26, as above explained.

As pointed out above, all of the speed ratios are not required undercertain types of fishing. Therefore, this invention contemplates the useof only certain parts of the present device to construct speed changingdevices which will provide only the normal ratio between the crank I2and shaft II and the low speed of the shaft relative to the crank. Otherdevices will include only the low and high speed ratios between theshaft II and crank I2 and still others may utilize only those parts foreffecting a direct drive between the crank I2 and shaft II and highspeed ratios between the shaft Il and crank I2. When the low speed isnot desired it is only necessary to delete from the structure the gear58, planetary gears 21, spacers 28 and pins 3I. When the direct drive orone-to-one ratio between crank I2 and shaft I I is not desired, it isonly necessary to delete the flange 33 and the recesses `16 therein. Inthis instance, the gear 5'I may be similar to gear 58 except for theabsence of the recesses 16, and when it is desired to delete the highspeed ratio between the shaft I I and crank I2 it is only necessary todelete the disc 54, planetary gears 55 and sun gear 5'I.

In the structures requiring only two speeds as above explained, thedeletion of the unnecessary parts reduces the cost of the device andrenders it more compact, lighter and smaller.

Accordingly, there is provided a transmission that may be attached tothe shaft of the conventional fishing reel that will provide selected,speed ratios between the crank and the shaft of the reel withoutdisturbing the mesh of the gears. The attachment is compact, durable,and may be instantaneously operated to provide the desired speed of thespool of the fishing reel relative to the speed of the reel crank. Itwill be noted that by reason of the axially movable pin E5 carrying thepawls 'I2 for engagement with the slots 'I6 in the disc 54, disc 53 orgear 58 for changing the speed ratios, an extremely compact device hasbeen provided which may be instantaneously actuated by the knob 68 forproviding the desired speed ratio. The outer diameter of housing I5 isconsiderably smaller than the diameter of the star drag I3 and thedevice in no Way interferes with the conventional operationpf theother.portionsor mechanisms ofthe reel. v 1.

.-*Whilethe present devicehasv been illustrated and describedA as anattachment for a fishing reel, it will'beobvious to thoseskilled in theart that the device may be built into the reel. as standard equipment,.Other changes, substitutions,. addi-f tions and modifications may bemade in the device without departing from the spirit and scope oftheinvention as defined bythe appended claims. ,f We clai m:. 1 v 1. Acompact transmission for use with a fishing reel comprising: acylindrical housing having an internal gear on the inner surfacethereof; a tubular input shaft carried by the housing and rotatableconcentrically therein,` said shaft, hav,-y ing an axial boretherethrough, a longitudinal slot communicating with the bore andextending partially the length of the shaft, and a plurality of axiallyspaced circumferential grooves formed in the inner surface of the boreand axially spaced along the slot; a disc rotatably mounted on saidshaft and provided with a circular central opening and a notch formed inthe inner circumference defining said opening; a sun geary fixed to saiddisc; a second disc rotatably mounted on said shaft and provided with acentral circular opening and a notch formed in the inner circumferencedefining said opening; a set of planetary gears rotatably carried onsaid second disc and meshing4 with said internal gear and with said sungear; an axially movable actuating pin in the bore of said shaft andextending outwardly thereof, said pin having a pair of axially spacedradially disposed channels formed therein; a radially extending pawlcarried in one of said channels and extending through said slot andoutwardly thereof and resilient means within said channel urging saidpawl outwardly; a rounded positioning element carried in the otherchannel and resilient means within said other channel for urging theelement outwardly, the pawl and positioning element being engageablewith a selected notch and circumferential groove respectively; means fordigitally moving the actuating pin axially of the shaft; and an outputmember locked to said first named disc and axially spaced therefrom.

2. A compact transmission for use with a fishing reel comprising: acylindrical housing having an internal gear on the inner surfacethereof; a tubular input shaft carried by the housing and rotatableconcentrically therein, said shaft having an axial bore therethrough, alongitudinal slot communicating with the bore and extending partiallythe length of the shaft, and a plurality of axially spacedcircumferential grooves formed in the inner surface of the bore andaxially spaced along the slot; a disc rotatably mounted on said shaftand provided with a circular central opening and a notch formed in theinner circumference defining said opening; an output member locked tosaid disc and axially spaced therefrom, said output member beingprovided with a ra- ,diallyextending flange thereon; a set of planetarygears rotatably carried on said flange and meshing with said internalgear; a sun gear rotatably mounted on said shaft and provided with acircular central opening and a notch formed in the inner circumferenceVdefining said opening;

an axially movable actuating pin in the bore of said shaft and extendingoutwardly thereof, said pin having a pair of axially spaced radiallydisposed channels formed therein; a radially extending pawl carried'inone of said channels and extending through said slot and outwardly theiof and resilient means within Said channel urging said pawl outwardly; aroundedpost'ionng element carried in the other channel 'and-resil- 5 ymeans for digitally movin'g-the actuating .pin

axially of the shaft.

ALEXANDERGLV TED S.PFLUEGER.

REFERENCES CITED vThe 'following references are of record "in fthe l'e-of this patenti v UNITED vSTATES PATENTS Name l Dae, schreien; sept.1o, 1907 Johanson Feb. 16, 1915 -St'a'rr Aug. 14, 1923 Wesbauer Aug.19,1930 Mc`cu11ou'gn; Nov. 22, i933 Aispaugh oct. 22, 1940 Bland et alMal". 15, *192,17 'Sears etal. Nvf, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Y. 'HYY jtef n'Srpt. 2; Great Britih Sept; '7, 1934

